Product Details

• Actors: Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance
• Directors: Buster Keaton, Charles Chaplin, Edward F. Cline, James W. Horne, Leo McCarey
• Writers: Buster Keaton, Charles Chaplin, Charles Horan
• Format: Black & White, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Silent, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: July 15, 2003
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00009Q4W5
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #111,021 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #26 in	Movies & TV > Comedy > Comedy Directors > Chaplin, Charlie
  #57 in	Movies & TV > Classics > Classic Stars > Keaton, Buster
  #59 in	Movies & TV > Classics > Classic Stars > Chaplin, Charlie

• For more information about "Slapstick Masters" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Of all the silent-comedy compilations released by Image Entertainment and Kino Video, Slapstick Masters is a perfect primer for new students of the genre. It's timelessly accessible, serving up three classic "two-reelers" from acknowledged comedy greats (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy) while shining a deserved spotlight on the lesser-known Monty Banks in "Chasing Choo-Choos," excerpted from the 1927 slapstick feature Play Safe, and featuring one of the zaniest, most incredibly dangerous chase scenes of the silent era. And while each of these films has been improved from previous DVD releases (with corrected intertitles, better source materials, and digital mastering), the selling point is the accompanying music by the Alloy Orchestra, a Boston-based trio specializing in new, jauntily percussive scores for vintage films. Alloy's playful work here is absolutely marvelous, honoring the traditions of silent-movie music while vastly improving its musical parameters. The films are great by themselves, but with music by the Alloy Orchestra, they're masterpieces to be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, any time. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A First Rate Collection of Vintage Comedy!, July 29, 2004

By	J. Fisher (Cook, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A funny, first rate collection of silent film comedy shorts.
Silent stars Buster Keaton (One Week), Charlie Chaplin
(Easy Street), Laurel and Hardy (Big Business), and Monty Banks
(Chasing Choo-choos). The quality of the prints is the best we've seen, and the musical score is excellent by the Alloy Orchestra. It's a must have for Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy,Banks,and Chaplin Fans.

5.0 out of 5 stars Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel & Hardy and Banks, September 16, 2008

By	Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT's SLAPSTICK MASTERS contains high-quality transfers of four of the silent era's greatest comedy shorts.

CONTENTS--

BIG BUSINESS-- Laurel & Hardy as Xmas tree salesmen get into an escalating war of destruction with an annoyed customer. As a crowd gathers, Stan and Ollie trash Jimmy Finlayson's landscaping and bungalow while Jimmy destroys their merchandise and truck. Police officer Tiny Sandford observes the action and calmly takes notes.

CHASING CHOO CHOOS-- Monty Banks short was edited from his feature, "Play Safe." Monty rescues a girl from a gang of thugs; she and the pursuing bad guys hop a freight train. Monty catches up to it by using a fruit peddler's horsecart and a racing car; the gang chases him across the tops of the cars. Includes some impressive stunts by Banks (and others).

EASY STREET-- Cop and ex-vagabond/thief Charlie Chaplin rids Easy Street of thuggish Eric Campbell. The bad guy escapes from jail and kidnaps Edna Purviance, but Chaplin triumphs again. The infant seen briefly is the son of directer Erich von Stroheim.

ONE WEEK-- Newlywed Buster Keaton bungles the assembly of his pre-fab house. Keaton's first-released solo short is one of his very best.


TELEVISTA's KINGS AND QUEENS OF SLAPSTICK features highlights from shorts by Chaplin, Lloyd, Laurel & Hardy, Semon, West, Chase and Turpin.


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(8.2) Big Business (silent-1929) - Stan Laurel/Oliver Hardy/James Finlayson/Tiny Sandford/Charlie Hall/Retta Palmer/Lyle Tayo
(7.7) Chasing Choo Choos (1927) - Monty Banks/Virginia Lee Corbin/Leo Willis
(7.8) Easy Street (1917) - Charles Chaplin/Edna Purviance/Eric Campbell (uncredited: Leo White/Charlotte Mineau/James T. Kelley/Erich von Stroheim Jr.)
(8.3) One Week (1920) - Buster Keaton/Sybil Seely/Joe Roberts